Finnick and Annie
by heartsayshello95
Summary: I'm Annie Cresta, the mad girl who won the 70th Hunger Games because I could swim the best. They say I lost my mind when my fellow tribute was beheaded. I'm Annie Cresta. And this is my story. Mine and Finnick's of course/


Everyone thinks I'm mad except Finnick. He says I'm perfect. I don't believe him. I'm pretty mad. I'm a joke in the Capitol. Even at home in District 4.

I'm Annie Cresta, the mad girl who won the 70th Hunger Games because I could swim the best. They say I lost my mind when my fellow tribute was beheaded.

I'm Annie Cresta, the girl Finnick wrote a love poem about.

I'm Annie Cresta.

And this is my story.

Mine and Finnick's of course.

"Annie Cresta! Get down here now!" My mother called from downstairs. Her voice was sharp like a knife. I could feel the anger from her tone. "Do not make me come up there!"

Someone started to ascend the stairs. It wasn't Mother though. Mother took heavy steps full of order and confidence. These steps were light and bouncy. It was Macky.

I was sure she wouldn't find me in the linens cupboard. At 12 years old, I was very small and could play a great game of Hide and Seek. Except this wasn't Hide and Seek. This was Reaping Day for the 65th Hunger Games.

The cupboard door slowly opened and my sister's face peeked through. My face scrunched up and I started to cry. "Don't make me go," I said between sobs. "I don't want to die."

"Come here," she said. I crawled out of the cupboard and buried my face into her shirt. "Shh." She stroked my dark hair. "Your name is only in there one time. The odds are in your favor, Annie."

"The odds aren't in anyone's favor!" I yelled into her shirt.

"Come on. You have to get dressed and get down stairs. Mother's already very angry." We both stood up and she led me to me room where my dress had already been laid out on my bed. "I'll be here the whole time. I'm not going to leave you."

I slipped the dress over my head. It was an ugly thing. The dress was a light green that clashed with my deep green eyes and had straps that fell off my shoulders. Macky tightened the straps for me and twisted my hair into a ponytail. We held had as we went downstairs.

"Finally!" my mother huffed. She swept her dark hair up in a bun and fanned herself. "Let's go, girls. We are going to be late."  
Macky wiped the last of my tears from my face and we set out for the town square.

It was unbearably hot outside. I would have blisters on my shoulders by the end of the day. The air was stagnant like it was holding its breath along with all the children 12-18 whose names would be in the Reaping Balls. I let out my own breath to make up for the lack of wind. Mother thought I was about to cry again and told me to shut up.

I looked at the sea while we walked, wishing I was a fish so I wouldn't ever have to worry about things like the Hunger Games. But soon the sea disappeared behind the buildings and we were in town square.

The children were all solemn and silently making their way to their spot below the stage. Macky bent down and whispered, "They're separated by age, okay? You need to go in this line with all the other twelve year olds. I'll be over there with the eighteen year olds. I'll meet you here after, okay?"

I nodded my head. My sister disappeared in the throng of kids and I scurried to my line, hopeful to get this over with.

There was a lady on the stage behind the microphone. At least, I think it was a lady. She had long purple that went down to her butt. Her dress ended slightly further than her hair but just barely. She had sparkling tattoos up and down her legs. Her face was caked with purple makeup to match her hair. She introduced herself as Nali Sora and wished us a happy Hunger Games.

My name wasn't picked that day and neither was Macky's. I wasn't listening to the name of the girl who did get picked. As long as Nali Sora didn't say Annie Cresta my mind was at sea. However by the time the boy's name was picked I was listening.

It was fourteen year old Finnick Odair. Finnick and I had never talked before but I had heard his name whispered in hushed tones by other girls. Finnick was very popular among the girls for his looks and way with a trident.

Most people would've said he didn't look scared but I saw it even as a twelve year old. As he sauntered up to the stage, I could see straight through his eyes and into his soul.

#

Finnick won that year. He charmed every person at the Capitol, man and women. He had many sponsors. They were able to give him a trident. From then on the games were in his hands. He would capture his victims in a net he created. Once trapped, he would spear them with his trident.

The minute he got back to District 4 a swarm of girls were always following him around. I never got the chance to talk to him. Not that I really wanted to anyway.

For the next few years, he trained the tributes in the Hunger Games. I didn't pay much attention to him. He was just another cocky winner to me.

But then it all changed at the 70th Hunger Games.

I was seventeen and well on my way to adulthood, ready to leave the Hunger Games behind me. Only two more Reapings stood in my way. I was still living with my witch of a mother. Macky had gotten married and moved to the other side of the District. I was lonelier than ever without her. The only time I got to see Macky was at the Reapings because it was mandatory for everyone to attend.

After getting my blood taken, I got in line with the other girls my age. My dress still didn't fit me correctly. Macky gave me all her Reaping clothes when she left so I was wearing one of her blue dresses. The straps didn't fit and I had to pin them together in the back so they wouldn't fall off.

Nali Sora was still announcing the tributes for District 4. She looked completely different that she had five years ago. I wouldn't have known it was her if she hadn't introduced herself. She had on long Jabberjay feather in her white hair. Her hair was about a foot high. She had a long red dress and her skin was a light red color as well.

"Welcome to the 75th Annual Hunger Games! And may the odds ever be in your favor!" she said excitedly. She put her hand on her hips and looked straight into the cameras. "Let's start with the ladies, shall we?" She sauntered over to the Reaping Ball with the girls names, swinging her hips back in forth in a sexual way. I thought she was hoping to get Finnick's attention ever though he was only nineteen and she was probably in her late 30s.

She reached her hand into the Ball, rummaging around for the slip of paper she wanted. Finally, she settled on one and pulled it out. Then she walked back to the microphone.

"Annie Cresta."

My stomach dropped. I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

This couldn't have been happening. No. No. No. No.

The girl next to me gave me a nudge on my arm but I barely felt it. The world was spinning around me. My mind was at sea. "Go," the girl next to me hissed. I looked back at her. There was now three of the same girl. She had whiskers on her face. "Go," she hissed again. The whiskers disappeared.

I blinked. Only one girl stood next to me, giving me an odd look. My feet were no longer mine. They slowly walked up the stage. My hands were balled at my sides.

Nali Sora was saying something about me but I couldn't hear her. The ocean was loud in my ears. What I would've given to be a fish.

Nali Sora walked over to the other ball. I looked at the children standing below the stage. Then I turned around and looked at all the people behind me. My eyes met Finnicks and I turned around quickly.

"Ryker Gauge."

The name struck a chord within me. Ryker and I used to play together we were children. We weren't exactly friends but we knew each other.

I watched him come to the stage. His jaw was clenched. Ryker had short blonde hair and the famous green eyes of District 4.

"Here we go ladies and gentlemen! The tributes of District 4!"

Everyone applauded because that's what they were supposed to do. And Ryker and I were shuffled into the justice building.  
They shoved me into a room by myself. I felt the tears coming on but I refused to let them fall. I would not go out there puffy nosed and red eyed for all of Panem to see. It was silent for a long time. From the window, I could see that everyone had dispersed. There was a single car waiting to take us away to the train.

I pressed up against the glass. From a certain angle I could see the waves crashing against the shore. I looked away because tears started to fall. Curse words tumbled out of my mouth.

No. No crying.

The door opened. "Annie!" Macky screamed.

She nearly knocked me down from hugging me. I was twelve years old again in the cupboard, embracing my sister and crying openly in her shirt. Macky pulled away, cupping my face in her hands. "Oh Annie."

We both knew I couldn't win. Macky didn't even try to talk to me. We just wanted to soak up our last minutes together.

Macky was my only visitor. Mother didn't bother showing for my sake. And I didn't want her to.

Soon guards came to collect me and Ryker and take us, along with the famous Finnick Odair and Nali Sora to the Capitol.

I looked out the window at the blurring trees going me. I'd never seen so many. Finnick Odair and Ryker Gauge and Nali Sora were having a conversation but I wasn't listening. All I did was lean my head on the window glass and wish to be in the sea.

"Annie." Finnick Odair's voice pulled me from the window. I jumped.

"What?" My eyes found his again. Now all of them were staring at me.

"You haven't touched your food," Nali Sora commented.

"Sorry, but I'm not exactly hungry. I just found out I'm going to die soon," I snapped.  
She recoiled.

"Don't talk like that," Finnick said.

I turned back to the window and ignored that famous Finnick Odair.

We had chosen to practice for interviews separately. I didn't want to get attached to Ryker if I might have to kill him later.

Finnick and I were sitting my room so that Ryker and Nali couldn't disturb us or overhear us. "Do you have any secret skills I need to know about?"

I looked at him blankly. "Not really."

"Do you have any survival skills?"

"Not really."

He put his face in his hands in frustration. "Do you want to win this or are you going into this totally suicidal?"

I scoffed. "Excuse me?"

"You don't seem to be trying to win me over."

"Well, Finnick Odair, not everyone wants to win you over!" I yelled.

"Me as in the audience," he said. "If you don't come off as likable no one is going to want to sponsor you."

"I'm not very likable. I'm not the famous Finnick Odair who can win over the hearts of the Capitol with the drop of a hat." I didn't know why I was so bitter but I was.

"It's not like that, Annie," he tried to explain.

"Then how is it?" I asked.

He huffed and looked down. "That's not what this is about. Look, do you want my help or not?"

"I can't kill anyone, Finnick," I said, changing the subject. "So I can't win."Truth was I did want his help. He won because he got so many sponsors. He was likable.

"You don't have to. You can run and hide and live off the land. You could outlast them all," Finnick said.

I couldn't sleep. The training days were done and tomorrow I would be going into the Hunger Games and I was completely alone.

I peeked outside my room. No Avoxes. No Ryker. No Finnick. No Nali. My stomach grumbled for food. I hadn't eaten anything at dinner. Too nervous.

The whole apartment was quiet. I creeped through the house to find some food. An apple or something.

"Annie?"

I jumped. Finnick Odair was behind me. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah," I admitted.

"Do you want to see something?" he asked. I tilted my head and shrugged. Why not? We both snuck out of the room. He grabbed me hand and pulled me to the stairs.

For a second, I thought about pulling my hand away but I liked the way his hand fit into mine so I let him lead me up the stairs. "Where are we going?" I whispered.

"Shh."

We silently go up 9 flights of stairs and find ourselves up on the roof. "Wow," I said. "Look!" I pointed down at the street below to all the Capitol citizens celebrating.

"Isn't it crazy?" he asked. "They're all here for us."

We stand by the edge and look down at all the people. Suddenly, I was very aware we were still holding hands. "I don't think that's true. They aren't here for us. They are here for them."

He looked at me. Finnick was about a foot taller than me. "That's true. All of this is for them. We're just a part of their game."

It was silent for a long time. "I'm scared, Finn." I wasn't sure why I called him Finn but it felt right.

He brushed a piece of hair out of my face. "Everyone's scared." I searched his eyes for the same soul I saw that day when I was twelve. "You're different than all the other girls I've met, Annie Cresta."

I found his soul in his eyes. We leaned into each other and our lips met.


End file.
